We planned this trip due to a new route, non stop, from Denver to Dublin! Then we booked with British Airways instead and did a layover at Heathrow. Delays actually worked in our favor and we got to our second flight on time.
After choosing to book a place outside of downtown, to afford us free parking, we still stayed night number one near the Airport. Crash pad is needed on day one. Then we took the shuttle to get the Sixt car rental. Where they politely informed us there was an unmentioned $1500 to $5000 hold without us buying their insurance, even though we are 100% covered on our own policy!
Avis to the rescue, and we tootled on out of there in a lovely Toyota with an automatic transmission. Never again Sixt. Driving on the left was Richard's job our last trip to Europe, but this time, I wanted a turn. So after day one, and a fine pub breakfast of a "full Irish," we headed to the Airbnb. Handsome Mark Hurley met us there, and let us in, even thought the key was to have been under the mat. Oh well. Small wait is not a problem.
The Airbnb was across from a golf resort, and within 40 minutes of multiple coastal villages. We went into Dublin proper, and met up with Nuala Spainhower at an old institution called Bewley's that was just lovely. https://bewleysgraftonstreet.com/ Beautiful stained glass everywhere. I got a true institution for my birthday cake, Victorian sponge with raspberry and whipped icing. Seeing the Book of Kells experience and the Trinity Library were a must, and then the kids toured the Irish Whiskey Museum while Richard enjoyed a flight of their finest. We were lucky to have space for Nicholas and Miranda to join us for the first week.
Shopping downtown for some souvenirs rounded out our first full day in Dublin, followed by a lovely pub with Fish and Chips in a coastal town called Malahide at the end of the day. They had a dispenser of Cadbury eggs in the pub!
The next day was the coastal village of Howth, which Anthony Bourdain suggests in one of his travel shows. Drive to Crabby Joes and get some chowder. So we ended up there on market day, more souvenirs, and a lovely seafood platter at a different restaurant https://www.beshoffs.ie/ with some of the nicest oysters I've ever had. We drove up to the point, but it was a foggy day, and I ended up buying a photo from a local photographer in the market that was much better than any I could take that day.
We later went back to Howth with just Richard and I and found Crabby Jos and had that chowder and a fish and chips. Equally good, but the service was much better at Beshoffs.
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